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Kima later told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: "The pilot came on and said, 'Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry for the inconvenience but we have to return to the gate and remove a passenger'. It escalated to that point that fast."

Footage shows Kima pleading with an airline official: "Can you help me understand why… I need more information, I haven't done anything.

"I purchased this ticket, I had an emergency and needed to pee, I tried to hold it the first time and I absolutely couldn't, and now I'm being kicked off the plane? I haven't done anything hostile."

Other passengers can be heard saying there is no need to remove him from the plane.

He can be heard in the footage pleading: 'I don't understand, I haven't done anything'

A second official is then heard telling Kima: "This is not one of those scenarios where we are going to force you off the plane or anything, but because we are inconveniencing everyone right now, that's why someone came to ask you to leave, and I need you to follow me up to the front desk, that's all."

Eventually the crew ordered everyone on board off the packed jet.

As he left Kima apologised to the man sitting next to him, and he replied: "You did nothing wrong." Others discussed staying put out of solidarity.

Lawyer Krista Rosolino, who was sitting opposite with her husband and baby, said it was "the most outrageous treatment of a paying customer that I have seen in my two decades of flying".

She wrote in an open letter to Delta: "Not only did your staff truly harm and humiliate one person who was forced to pay hundreds of dollars for a new same-day flight, but you forced the rest of us passengers to endure a two hour saga of watching a man being targeted for having a bathroom emergency.

"I am disappointed and horrified at how Delta Airlines staff treated their customers/passengers."

She said airline staff claimed they had to deal with a "security threat" - but she denied there was anything threatening about the passenger.

She accused the crew of basing their decision on Kima's race and vowed never to fly with Delta again.

Kima was forced to buy a walk-on fare to get home to Milwaukee at three times the amount he was refunded.

Delta said in a statement: "Our flight crews are extensively trained to ensure the safety and security of all customers.

"It is imperative that passengers comply with crew instructions during all phases of flight, especially at the critical points of takeoff and landing."

The incident is the latest in a string of public relations disasters fir US airlines in recent weeks.